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Less is more

It was Coco Chanel who coined the phrase “less is more”. She was referring to over accessorising an outfit (her advice was to always remove one item to balance the overall look) but she could just as easily be talking about my desire to strip away the superfluous options that have inveigled their way into my daily life. Eating, drinking and communicating has never been so complicated. And it’s driving me crazy!

I don’t need a colossal gastro pub the size of an air hangar that's trying to cater for every potential taste. I want a small, family run restaurant with a regional menu. I’m not impressed by exotic food that’s ice packed and flown half way across the world just to whet my appetite. I’d much rather have less choice but enjoy fresh, seasonal produce of the best quality.

I don’t want a six floor fashion emporium stuffed to the eaves with every conceivable designer brand. I want a small, stylish boutique. One where the owner has already separated the wheat from the chaff and isn’t frightened to offer a skilfully edited selection of this season’s must haves.

I don’t want a mobile phone that, despite coming with a 30 page user manual, still omits to tell me how to pick up voicemail. All I need is to be able to make calls, send texts and receive and send e-mails. But in order to get theses functionalities I have to sign up to dozens of applications I will NEVER use.

All this choice leaves me befuddled and confused. In fact, it paralyses my capacity to choose anything.